Delyth Badder
Delyth Badder, Pontypridd, is the first Welsh-speaking paediatric pathologist, and thanks to her decisiveness and determination to fight for the service in Wales, the specialty has survived, avoiding additional worries and pain to thousands of families. Delyth also works as a Medical Examiner, enabling grieving families to voice concerns or questions to an expert in their language of choice. In addition, she has decided to turn a lifelong interest in folklore into a career, and is an Honorary Fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru, an opportunity for her to place our history and traditions on a national and global stage.
Carol Bell
Carol Bell, London, grew up in Felindre. She specialises in energy, finance and business and charitable activity, and has been associated with a number of international organisations. But she is particularly proud to be able to serve organisations and charities in Wales, including acting as Vice-President of Amgueddfa Cymru, Chair of the Finance Committee of the Millennium Centre and she was the first woman to serve on the board of the Football Association of Wales. She is a familiar voice on radio and television, and her involvement with our language extends to coining words that are now generally accepted, e.g. gwyrddgalchu (for 'greenwashing').
Jamie Bevan
Jamie Bevan, Merthyr Tydfil has been the lynchpin of the Welsh language community in his area for over twenty years, and now he runs the Welsh cafe in Soar, part of the important Welsh language centre in the town. A keen campaigner for the language, he is also a musician, and played a key role in creating Gŵyl Bedroc, together with organising social evenings of all kinds in the area. Jamie has strongly influenced local young people to take pride in our language and take every opportunity to use it on a daily basis. It is a pleasure to honour him this year.
Dafydd Trystan Davies
Originally from Aberdare, Dafydd Trystan Davies, Cardiff is well-known as an academic, politician, promoter of education and environmentalist, who has contributed greatly to Wales, its traditions, landscape, people and language. He is the Registrar of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and has been involved with that organisation from the start. He is a member of the Sport Wales Board. As an environmentalist, he is chair of the Active Travel Board and is at the forefront of making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle when traveling every day. He was instrumental in the development of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Hamadryad, Cardiff, and has served as director of various social enterprises including Cardiff Bicycle Workshops and TooGoodToWaste.
Geraint Davies
Geraint Davies, Treherbert, has worked tirelessly for over half a century on behalf of the communities of the Rhondda. As a pharmacist he served the communities of Treherbert, Treorci and Tynewydd, he was a local councillor for Treherbert for over 40 years and in 1999 he was elected as the first member for the Rhondda Valley in the National Assembly for Wales. He was a keen and active campaigner for local issues, including the right to use the Welsh language in the council and for Welsh language education in the valley. He was also instrumental in establishing a food bank and cafes to support disadvantaged families in the area.
Michelle Davies
Michelle Davies is from Beulah, Llangamarch, and has deep roots in that area. She has done much to ensure that our language flourishes once again in an area where there has been a steady decline in the language over the years. Through her work, the Welsh stream at Ysgol Gynradd Llanfair-ym-Muallt has flourished, and her community work with organisations such as the Llanwrtyd Eisteddfod, the local nursery school, the Urdd Eisteddfod and the Young Farmers has meant that there are many more opportunities for children and young people to use Welsh when socialising locally.
Joseff Gnagbo
Joseff Gnagbo, Cardiff, is an asylum seeker from the Gold Coast, who moved to Wales a few years ago. He settled in the capital and learned Welsh confidently. He has become an excellent Welsh language tutor in the city. Since the autumn Joseff has been Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith and has appeared regularly in the media sharing his experiences as an asylum seeker and Welsh learner after moving to Wales. We are proud to welcome him to Gorsedd Cymru.
Margot Ann Phillips Griffith
Originally from Pont-iets, Margot Ann Phillips Griffith, Wellington moved to New Zealand almost half a century ago. She returns to Wales regularly and attends the Eisteddfod. She has served as the president of the Wellington Welsh Society several times, and her vision led to holding language refresher meetings, along with a poetry and short story writing competition on St David's Day. She organises a reception for the Welsh rugby team when they visit Wellington, and she also organises the raising of the Welsh flag on the New Zealand parliament building on 1 March every year. Margot was the President of the Welsh Cymanfa Ganu Association of New Zealand between 1996 and 2023.
Gill Griffiths
Gill Griffiths, Pentyrch has contributed extensively to our language and culture in her community and beyond. She has been an active member of Merched y Wawr for many years. During her time as that organisation’s National President, she raised awareness of the importance of the work of Christian Aid by encouraging members to collect bags and sell them for the benefit of the charity. She has been a Welsh language tutor at Cardiff University and the Learners’ Officer for the National Eisteddfod. Gill was an honorary president at the 2018 Cardiff National Eisteddfod.
Rosa Hunt
Originally from Malta, Rosa Hunt, Church Village, moved to Britain eith her family when she was fifteen years old, due to the worrying situation in her country. Today, she is a confident Welsh speaker, Co-principal of Cardiff Baptist College, and a part-time minister at the Tabernacle Church, Cardiff. Her contribution to her community in the Ton-teg area is immense, as part of the team that founded the local food bank, Caffi Shalom, which welcomes the young and vulnerable, organiser of a children's holiday club for many years, and she was also a member of a group that collaborated with the local council to welcome several refugee families to the area.
Awen Iorwerth
Born in the Rhondda, Awen Iorwerth has done much to promote medical education through the medium of Welsh. Awen was appointed as a lecturer at Cardiff University to develop Welsh-medium medical education, and she delivered the first ever Welsh lecture to the students at the College of Medicine. By now all Cardiff College of Medicine students, regardless of their linguistic background, receive communication skills sessions in Welsh. It is a privilege for the Gorsedd to recognise the importance of her work in this area.
Gethin Lloyd James
Gethin Lloyd James, Llanarthne founded the company, IAGO Cymru (Co.), which supplies archictectural plans to local people through the medium of Welsh, promoting the language in a practical way. Gethin was key to the initiative of seeking funds to build a village hall in Llanarthne, which opened in 2008, as the village school closed. The hall has gone from strength to strength, becoming the centre and heart of the village and the wider community, providing a wide variety of activities. Gethin has been the treasurer from the beginning, and it is fair to say that his contribution to the culture of the Llanarthne area deserves the Gorsedd honour.
Theresa Mgadzah Jones
Theresa Mgadzah Jones came to Britain from Zimbabwe as a 12-year-old child, before later moving to Wales and settling in Cardiff. Being a migrant herself, Theresa takes every possible opportunity to promote the Welsh language among migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. She worked for the Red Cross in Newport for years, coordinating a programme for women, looking for ways to dispel the idea that these women could not cope with learning Welsh on top of English. She collaborated with various organisations, including Dysgu Cymraeg Gwent, and the National Centre for Learning Welsh to introduce Welsh to new communities within our society.
David Lloyd-Jones
Lord David Lloyd-Jones CB, Pontypridd, is a Supreme Court Judge and legal scholar. He was a member of the Court of England and Wales and Chair of the Law Commission, and the first to deliver a judgment in Welsh in the Supreme Court. He taught and lectured at the University of Cambridge while a member of the Bar before becoming a Judge, and while President of the Law Commission, he led innovative research and reform work which ensured the extension of the Commission's statutory scope to include working on projects to Welsh Government. He is President of the Law Council of Wales which brings together legal practitioners, judges and scholars to consider and implement issues involving legal education and the development of the legal professions in Wales.
Gerallt Pennant
Although Gerallt Pennant hails from Eifionydd, he taught at Ysgol Gymraeg Ynys-wen, Cwm Rhondda for a while, before moving into the media. Gerallt is a familiar face on some of S4C's most popular programmes, as the north Wales reporter on Heno and Prynhawn Da, and his Radio Cymru weekly programme, Galwad Cynnar has inspired generations of listeners. Gerallt's ability to deal with a variety of topics, and to respond warmly to people of all kinds and from all over the country, makes him one of the best presenters in the Welsh language, and it is a privilege to honour him this year.
Ian Wyn Rees
Ian Wyn Rees, Porth Tywyn, is a Gastrointestinal specialist at Hywel Dda Health Board, and a leading liver doctor in the local area. He is one of the executive trustees of the Angor charity, which offers a bilingual service to cancer or life-limiting disease patients in the Carmarthenshire area. He is active in his community, having served as a school governor and chair of Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli. Ian is also an enthusiastic singer, having been chair and secretary of Porth Tywyn Choir. He has sung with a number of mixed choirs, including Côr Llanddarog. He is a keen fan of the Plygain tradition and regularly sings at local cymanfaoedd canu.
Rhuanedd Richards
Rhuanedd Richards, Pontypridd has deep roots in Rhondda Cynon Taf. She was brought up in a non-Welsh-speaking household in the Cynon Valley, with her parents learning the language as adults, and she has lived and raised her family in Pontypridd over the past twenty years. Following a period as a journalist, and then working in the world of politics, she is now director of BBC Wales. Despite her busy schedule, she continues to be active in her local community in Pontypridd and promotes the Welsh language in that area. Her great commitment to our language and to Wales is reflected in her everyday life in Rhondda Cynon Taf just as much as at a national level where she is a highly respected leader.
David Roberts
David Roberts, Caerphilly has worked in Welsh language education in the Rhondda and Cwm Taf for almost 30 years, teaching Welsh to thousands of children, many of whom come from non-Welsh speaking households. He led the Urdd Club at Ysgol Llwyncelyn, so that children had the opportunity to speak Welsh socially, has started Welsh-language football clubs, and encouraged children to compete in the Urdd. As deputy head of Ysgol Heol y Celyn, Pontypridd, he motivates the children and staff of the school's English stream to use Welsh. David was a leader on the Ffit Cymru programme in 2019, motivating thousands of people to live a healthier life.
Elfed Roberts
Elfed Roberts, Cardiff, retired from his position as Chief Executive of the National Eisteddfod in 2018, following a quarter of a century at the helm. The Eisteddfod developed and evolved under his care, and today it is a lively and colourful festival that attracts visitors of all ages and backgrounds, but without losing sight of its deep roots in the traditions and culture of Wales. During his time, the Eisteddfod travelled to all parts of the country, and the linguistic and cultural legacy left behind can be clearly seen in every corner of Wales.
Elinor Snowsill
Until her recent retirement from professional rugby, Elinor Snowsill, Pontyclun was one of the most prominent players in the Welsh women's team. She was also vocal in favour of promoting equality for women in the game and in presenting the game in Welsh - on the pitch and in the media. In her daily work, she was part of the School of Hard Knocks Cymru team, a charity helping disadvantaged children and adults to succeed through rugby. Since her retirement, Elinor has been appointed Player Development Leader, at Cardiff Met University's Player Development Centre. Her mother, Nerys Howell, will also be honoured by the Gorsedd this year.
Derek Stockley
Derek Stockley, Cefneithin, was born in Nelson, and was educated at Pontypridd Boys Grammar School. He was a lecturer in Brittany, and Head of the French Department at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, before starting a distinguished career at the WJEC where he became Director of Examinations and Assessment in 2001. Among his responsibilities was ensuring that learning materials (digital and print) appeared in both Welsh and English simultaneously. Derek has also been active with UCAC and the Edward Llwyd Society, and is a familiar voice in the media, discussing news and issues relating to Brittany and France of interest to us in Wales.
Hazel Thomas
Hazel Thomas, Cwm-du, Crickhowell, has contributed extensively to her local communities. She had a very musical upbringing, which led to considerable success at the National Eisteddfod when she was young, and she went on to appear as a soloist on a variety of television and radio programmes. She was a music and Welsh teacher for 25 years. She has served several times on National Eisteddfod committees and was chair of the Cwm-du Eisteddfod for over a quarter of a century. Among her other services to her area, Hazel was organist of Cwm-du church for around 40 years.
John Thomas
John Thomas, Swansea, is an Employment Judge by profession. When the Welsh Language Act came into force in 1993, he was a pioneer in ensuring that the administrative process was feasible before an application could be presented to the judge, by ensuring that enough civil servants could speak Welsh. The result was to organise that staff could be released for Welsh lessons in the workplace - a completely innovative idea at the time. It was John, together with three other local men, who had the vision that led to the establishment of the Tŷ Tawe Welsh language centre in Swansea, and John himself was responsible for raising much of the funding to make it a reality.
Noel Thomas
Noel Thomas, Gaerwen, is a man who conscientiously and selflessly served his community for many years as sub-postmaster and county councillor. But a turning point came in 2006: he was sacked by the Post Office and jailed for false accounting. It was not until April 2021 that his reputation was restored when he was cleared of all charges against him in the Supreme Court. As someone who suffered a great wrong at the hands of a powerful public institution, but who continued to fight for justice and kept his self-respect and dignity throughout, it is entirely appropriate that his stance is recognised by his own nation through Gorsedd Cymru.
Meleri Tudur Thomas
Judge Meleri Tudur Thomas, Caernarfon is the Deputy President of the Education, Health and Social Care Chamber of the Courts and Tribunals Service for England and Wales. She grew up at Coleg Bala-Bangor, and began her career as a solicitor in Pontypridd under the guidance of the late Lord Gwilym Prys Davies and Cyril Moseley. She is an Upper Tribunal judge and Deputy High Court Judge, sitting in Wales and in the Royal Courts in London, one of the few who can deliver judgments in Welsh. She is a judge in the Education tribunals and the Adjudication Panel for Wales, and on the Editorial Board of the legal 'Bible' regarding children, Clarke Hall & Morrison on Children and is one of the authors of the book Making Decisions Judicially.
Mark Vaughan
Mark Vaughan, Llanedi, Pontarddulais grew up near Blackwood in a non-Welsh speaking household. While a student at the Welsh Medical School, he set out to learn Welsh, in order to socialise, to help with his profession as a family doctor in Llanelli and later to raise his own family. He was the first Welshman to receive the honour of Fellow of the Medical College in 1996, and in 2011 he received praise for his outstanding contribution to family medicine. For seven years, he has volunteered in Uganda, visiting twice a year to run clinics in remote areas with no medical services, and he presents the humanitarian message to organisations, churches, chapels and schools across Carmarthenshire and beyond.
Megan Williams
Megan Williams, New York state, USA, is editor-in-chief of Ninnau, the North American Community Paper that appears regularly every two months. She is also primarily responsible for the Wales-North America Association and organises the North America Festival of Wales every year. She has learned Welsh well and is married to a Welsh-speaker from Gwynedd. Her mother and father have also been active in North American Welsh life for many years. She is always willing to help and to undertake any task to promote and help the Welsh in North America, and is an integral part of the important connection that continues to exist between the two countries.
Ynyr Williams
Ynyr Williams was born and raised in Trawsfynydd but settled in Cardiff. A poet, producer and television director, between 2007 and 2015 he was responsible for the popular series Pobol y Cwm, before being appointed Content Editor of Radio Cymru for six years. The highlight of his career, however, was, between 2010 and 2021, being responsible for the broadcasting side of the National Eisteddfod for the BBC (including the two challenging years of 'alternative eisteddfodau'). During that period, Ynyr proved himself to be a true friend to the Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd.